Things to see and do Taipei & Area

Right in front of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial is the newest fashionable attraction in Taipei. Founded in 1937 by the Japanese colonial government, this former tobacco company, which is still being renovated today, has been transformed into an exhibition centre, with numerous shops, artist galleries, cafés, and a small design museum (free entrance). The place is very successful, and offers an interesting leap into the past: almost all the structures of the factory have been preserved and refurbished. Numerous events are regularly organized there.

At weekends, stands are set up in the small park for craftsmen who come to offer their products. An initiative of the Taipei Municipality to promote the talents of those who, during the rest of the week, have a diverse but talented professional activity. And we can only congratulate her. Just next door, on reaching Zhongshan Road, you will notice the impressive (and very successful) structure of the future stadium that will host the upcoming sports competitions in the capital. If it is ever completed, its construction having been marked by a multitude of irregularities and local political problems. But its structure is already there, and it's beautiful. So the whole neighbourhood is changing and becoming fashionable, with cafés and shops opening one after the other in the small streets nearby.

The hot springs of Beitou remain one of the most authentic experiences in Taipei. In the open air, they include 6 basins, kept at different temperatures. But before you can enter, you must first wash yourself with the buckets of water provided for this purpose. Given the success they are enjoying, you sometimes have to wait for the little Japanese style entrance on weekends and in the summer, but it's worth it. Don't forget to bring your bathing suit!

The "New Park" was inaugurated in 1907 and renamed Peace Park in 1996, in memory of the Taiwanese who died during the February 28, 1947 demonstration against the KMT. A memorial reconciles Taiwan with its past by acknowledging acts of terror committed under martial law. Opposite the park, a neighbourhood store open on Heng Yang Road (No. 2) produces a very good plum juice, a popular drink in Taiwan, very thirst-quenching during hot weather.

On Chingshan overlooking the Keelung River, the Martyrs Mausoleum is far from the turmoil in Taipei. It was a resting place, built in a Ming style in 1969, dedicated to the memory of the 330 000 young soldiers (the majority was less than 33 years old) died during the war against Japan and the civil war with the Communists. Many men fell in the battle of Kinmen - the island of the Formosa Strait, a few kilometres from the Chinese coast - on 23 August 1948. The names on small wooden shelves, located in the main buildings, reflect the importance of the massacre. As for the two city memorials, guards are identified every hour. Twice a year, the President of the Republic commemorates the courage of these men: on March 29, at Youth Day, and on September 30, on the occasion of the Military Celebration.

Literally a well of fresh water, this bowl-shaped chimney with clouds of sulphur takes its name from the hot springs it contains at the comfortable temperature of 40°C (compared to an average of 80°C). Non-mixed thermal establishments have been created around these springs, perfect for relaxing after a long day's walk. Right next to it is the milk lake (Niunai Pond) whose particularly high yellow and white sulphur content gives it the colour of the feeding liquid.

Possibly an ancient crater or volcanic depression, this pond has been classified as a water plant conservation area. It is located on the south face of Mount Qixing at an altitude of 850m. The richness of its soil has allowed the development of a rare species of ferns: the Taiwanese isoets. The place is lovely and is a pleasant walk. On the other hand, the endemic species that reside there are extremely vulnerable, and access to the pond is prohibited to visitors. The view can only be admired from an observation platform.

Probably one of the most pleasant places to rest, picnic or fly a kite. A vast plain covered with green carpet, Cingtiengkang was used as grazing land for oxen during the Qing Dynasty, a tradition that lasted until very recently when Yamingshan became a national park. As proof, under the Japanese occupation, 3,000 head of cattle lived on the Yangmingshan lands. One ranch remains open to visitors during the summer months, thus continuing a centuries-old tradition.

A park in a park! Datun (or Tatun) Nature Park is located on the second highest mountain in Yangmingshan, Mount Datun. The entrance to the park is opposite the entrance to Butterfly Alley. Birds, shrubs, cicadas, butterflies, you will find the main lines of the ecosystem of Yangmingshan, but in miniature. Ideal for hiking (signposted), the park includes a path that allows you to climb to the top of Datunshan and observe the Taipei Basin.

Located near the Museum of Fine Arts, this park is the first of its kind in Taiwan. Covering more than 10 hectares, it is perhaps one of the most pleasant green spaces in the Capital. There are artistic works of art reflected in the water, sculptures, modern constructions including an open-air theatre. At dusk, the light is beautiful. On the other hand, the quietness of the place disappears on weekends: the Taiwanese love to go there with their families.

Founded in 2001 by Buddhist master Hsin Tao, this museum of the suburbs of Taipei is an open door to all the world's religions. The interactive concept is a pure success that can interest both children and adults.

Raw nature in the middle of Taipei! Close to the business district of Xinyi, this mountain, which offers magnificent hiking trails, has something to surprise you. Just a stone's throw from an ultra-modern residential complex, a small temple marks the entrance to the path that leads to the heights of the city. Be careful, although a staircase allows you to reach the top of the first hill, the slope is steep and untrained walkers may suffer. But it's worth the effort: after twenty minutes of climbing, a small platform allows you to observe one of the most beautiful views of the capital, with Tower 101 in all its splendour in the foreground. The ideal is to go there just before nightfall, to admire the sunset over Taipei which lights up. It takes less than two hours to get there and back from the metro station.

Most tourists stop at this first stage, but the hiking trail continues for several kilometres and splits into several branches that penetrate the surrounding forests. A single day is not enough to go around them, so visitors in a hurry will have to make do with just one of these routes. Our favourite starts just after the first viewpoint: just a little further up is a small open-air gym, and continuing to the right of it, a path goes down into the mountain and allows you to visit several temples little known to tourists.

The first Han, who arrived from Chuanchow or Changchow in mainland China, named the place Tsaoshan (Grass Mountain). The mountain was not renamed until 1950, at the suggestion of the local authorities, in Yangmingshan, in honour of the philosopher Wang Yang ming (1472-1529) - shan means "mountain" in Chinese. In addition to its volcanoes, the park is home to thirteen hot springs and fumaroles covered with yellow sulphur crystals from which sulphuric volcanoes escape. It is therefore not only a geological but also a chemical subject of study. That's why, during the week, dozens of schoolchildren arrive to attend an outdoor science class. You don't have to decide to visit the park at the weekend, because it's no longer a few classes that take over the place, but hordes of tourists looking for a bit of peace and quiet. Indeed, this is Yangmingshan's greatest feature: this national park, located only a few minutes from a conurbation, yet has all the quietness and natural grandeur of an outlying area. The park is famous for its majestic flora, which is at its best throughout the seasons: in autumn, silvergrass, covering the mountains, contrasts with the soft red of the trees' foliage, while in spring, everything is exuberance and the lily-, azalea- and cherry blossoms attract many walkers. Yangmingshan is located in a subtropical zone where vegetation can change in no time for two reasons: volcanic activity, although extinct, continues to abnormally heat the soil making it low in calcium and rich in acid, and the winter monsoon brings abundant rain. Thus, Yangmingshan alternates green landscapes, such as bamboo forests, with arid zones. In addition to 1,224 species of plants, the park includes shrubs of the laurel family such as the Taiwanese cherry tree, as well as an artificial forest (Datun and Chihsing mountains) planted under Japanese occupation and consisting of pine trees. The park is also inhabited by exceptional wildlife. Among the mammals, the Formosa macaque, Formosa hare or Formosa squirrel... In addition to these, there are 110 species of birds, the most emblematic of which is the Taiwanese blue magpie, 150 species of butterflies, mostly in the Mientien and Datun Mountains, and 47 species of reptiles.

This former industrial complex where wine was produced was renovated in 2007 and offers a series of artists' studios and exhibition centres. Here you can learn the secrets of making objects such as lanterns from talented artists and craftsmen. But the place given to contemporary arts is also important. An excellent visit, if only for the locals. Cafés have also opened there so that you can grab a bite to eat after visiting the complex.